FAQ's

All persons, other than Australian citizens require a visa or authority to enter Australia. All Indian citizens require a visa to enter Australia.

The category of visa you wish to apply for depends on the purpose of your visit. You can use the Find Visa facility available on the Department of Home Affairs website to assist you with determining which visa category to apply for and the requirements for that category of visa.

Clients should lodge their applications as early as possible keeping in mind the average processing times and prior to their intended date of travel. The average processing times of visa applications depend on the category of visa being applied for.

You should not purchase non-refundable tickets or accommodation prior to the grant of a visa. Any such purchases are the sole responsibility of the visa applicant. The Department of Home Affairs recommends that you lodge your visa application well ahead of your proposed travel date and finalise travel arrangements after visa issue.

The processing time for visa applications depends on various factors. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that an application is complete and accompanied by full and relevant information. An incomplete application form and/or the absence of required or relevant information may result in delays in processing or in the application being refused.

The documents required with a visa application are specific to the visa category under which you wish to apply. Please visit the VISA TYPES section of this website for document checklists for various visa categories. You may also visit the website of the Department of Home Affairs for further information on document requirements. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that an application is complete and accompanied by relevant documents and information. An incomplete application form and/or the absence of required or relevant information and documents may result in delays in processing or in the application being refused.

The requirement for original documents arises only in case the Australia High commission has requested. Applicants are requested to visit the Australian High Commission website for category specific information in regards to the submission of original documents.

If you have lodged a visa application through VFS, you can track the location of your application online at the TRACK YOUR APPLICATION section of this website or you can contact the VFS Helpline. Kindly quote your passport number or VFS Reference Number for all status enquiries made on VFS Helpline. Apart from the above means, Easy to use, this revolutionary SMS service once purchased will launch an automated confirmation feedback message to the applicant's mobile phone, at various stages of the visa application life-cycle. The service supports transfer of SMS in English and assures an applicant of his/her equanimity, with convenience at their finger tip. Additionally, this user-friendly service will be followed up with an automated email message to the applicants email id informing them of the status of their Visa Application. Stage I: Application is forwarded to Australian High Commission.

Stage I: Application is forwarded to Australian High Commission.

Stage II: Application is received by Australian High Commission.

Stage III: Passport/Documents/Notification Letter is either emailed or couriered or is available at the counter for collection. (Counter Option: Applicable for Delhi, Nepal and Bhutan applicants only)

Stage IV: Passport/Documents is collected from Australian Visa application Centre. ( Please note that there will be a Service Charge for the above services. The details can be obtained here.VFS is unable to provide information on the status of application assessment or the decision taken on a client's visa application.

Please note that Australian privacy legislation generally prevents the Australian High Commission from disclosing information about visa applications to anyone other than the applicant. This means that if someone contacts the High Commission to inquire on your behalf, the High Commission will not be able to provide them with any information unless you have provided written authorization.

The Australian Department of Home Affairs assesses and decides all visa applications. The VFS Application Centre staff are not employees of the Australian Government and do not have the authority to assess or decide applications..

VFS Global Services Pvt Ltd (VFS) is the Service Delivery Partner (SDP) for the Australian Government's Department of Home Affairs in India.

The role of VFS is to accept visa applications and to dispatch passports and documents back to clients, on behalf of the Department of Home Affairs.

VFS does not play any part in or influence the outcome of your visa application. If a VFS employee claims to be able to influence your visa application, you should inform the Australian High Commission, New Delhi immediately.

Australian visa applications may be lodged either offshore (in a country other than Australia) or in Australia, depending on their category.

A number of visas and other applications are processed in Australian in specialized processing centres.

VFS accepts applications for visa categories that can only be lodged in India at their Australian Visa Application Centres.

Some of the common visa categories that can be lodged in India through VFS include: Visitor visas, student visas, spouse migration visas, child migration visas, temporary work (short stay), business visitor, certain business long stay visas and Applications for Australian Citizenship.

Categories that are not accepted by VFS in India include Humanitarian and Refugee visas, Skilled Migration visas, Parent Migration visas, Sponsored Visitor visas, Entertainment visas, Working Holiday Visas and Temporary Business Long Stay Visas, where the sponsoring business is in Australia.

Clients can lodge visa applications at any of the VFS Australian Visa Application Centres in India. For the complete address of the Application Centre, nearest to you, visit the "CONTACT US" section of this website. Clients can also send their applications through Post/Courier to the Visa Application Centres except New Delhi. Please note that postal or couriered applications are not accepted by the VFS Australian Visa Application Centre at New Delhi. Other Visa Application Centres are accepting postal applications. For further details visit the "POSTAL APPLICATION" section of this website.

Individual clients do not require a prior appointment to lodge their application at VFS Australian Visa Application Centres.. However, the submission timings for Travel Agents are restricted. For details on Travel agent timings, visit the "CONTACT US" section of this website.

You are not required to use a migration agent. However, if you intend to use a migration agent you are strongly advised to use a registered migration agent. You can authorise a migration agent to act on your behalf by completing and lodging Form 956 - Appointment of Migration Agent, which can be downloaded free of charge from the DIBP website.

To make a valid visa application, clients must:
Submit the correct visa application form;
Pay the correct visa application fee, as applicable (Visa Fees and VFS Service Charges)

Clients should also provide all required documents and relevant information, together with the application (refer to Question 6 for document checklists). Incomplete applications may take longer to process and may result in visa refusal. Clients should ensure that visa application forms should be of the latest acceptable design date. Visa Application forms can be downloaded from Department of Home Affairs website or can be collected from any VFS Centre.

Clients are required to pay a Visa Application Charge (Visa fee), and a VFS service charge. Please visit the "VISA TYPES" section of this website for category relevant visa fee and VFS service charge. Clients can also get their visa fee paid on their behalf, in Australia at a DIBP Office.

No. The Visa fee can only be paid in INR (Indian Rupees) at VFS Visa Application Centres, if you are paying in India. However, clients can also get their visa fee paid on their behalf, in Australia at a DIBP Office.